1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a display apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display apparatus which unitizes magnetic interaction to achieve suspension and electromagnetic interaction to maintain continuous motion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, people have designed various display apparatuses utilizing magnetic suspension that give the illusion of free float. One example of such display apparatuses is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,533. This display apparatus includes a suspension member and a base assembly each having a set of magnets. The two sets of magnets are positioned and polarized such that the base assembly is operable to magnetically support the suspension member in a substantially horizontal suspended state. This suspended state, however, is very unstable. Therefore, to stabilize the suspension member in the suspended state, the display apparatus further includes a lateral support member which engages in abutting contact with one end of the suspension member. While this and other prior art display apparatuses have operated with varying degrees of success, they are unsatisfactory in one or more respects. For example, one deficiency attendant with the prior art display apparatuses is that they do not have any means to maintain the rotation of the suspension member after such rotation is manually initiated.
Another deficiency attendant with the prior art display apparatuses is that the inflexible, apparently visible, physical contact between the lateral support member and the suspension member reduces the illusion of anti-gravitational free float.
Yet another deficiency attendant with some of the prior art display apparatuses is that they are usually expensive to manufacture and purchase, and inherently complex in construction.
Therefore, it has been known that it would be desirable to have a novel display apparatus which is operable to maintain the rotation of the suspension member, which provides an enhanced illusion of free float, which is lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture and purchase, which is characterized by ease of utilization and simplicity of construction, which is highly efficient in operation, and which further reduces to an absolute minimum the assorted deficiencies associated with the prior art display apparatuses.